Diets and Discipline

I once heard a quote about diets (I can't remember the source)... the quote basically said "That's the inherant problem with diets. The word diet presupposes it's a period in your life where you'll make changes to your habits. What we need are less diets and more lifestyle changes."

I agree!

I watched 20/20 this week and the topic was dieting. On one diet they followed three friends who work at a promotional firm in NYC. They opened the story with one of the three people saying "We're diet junkies. We've been on everything." They went on to blame the diets.

20/20 had a new diet they were trying out (the book comes out next month). They asked this firm of 3 if they'd try it out. They followed this trio for 3 weeks and sure enough by the end of the first week they were in a huddle whining about "It's too hard." "I can't plan out the meals." "I may stick with it but not like a die-hard person would."

Do you see what I see? It's no wonder they are self-proclaimed "diet junkies"

People give up so quickly on discipline. So many people live their life thinking there will one day be some 'breakthrough'. The reality is that we're made up not of one major decision but rather a series of many small decisions. If someone wants to have life-long change they have to build on a series of wise decisions.

In ministry we're in the same boat. We have to lead people to understand that their life is built on making wise decisions. The reality is that if a person makes wise decisions as a part of their life, they will be wise. Many however treat their faith like a diet. Jesus is no Jenny Craig!

Pastor... you too should keep this in mind. You may not be able to make one or two MAJOR changes to become (place the name of a highly successful church with it's own conference here) but you can make solid daily decisions day after day to become the type of church God uses to reach the community for Christ. T.D. Jakes said in a message recently... when someone wants to set you up for a blind date, that's not the time try weightloss..... TOO LATE!

Work hard to change your personal (and church) lifestlye by making wise decisions each day.